Review: Dan Wesson ECO .45 ACP

[Dean C.]

Its that time of the year Christmas is just over, and tax season has started. Next to June at Blade show this is the time of year I make my "large" purchases. My Sig P938 just recently started developing some malfunction issues so it is no longer carried, and my HK P30 is a tad on the large size for EDC. So knowing I am comfortable with the 1911 pattern of firearms I started my search for a compact 1911 for EDC. My Father already has a couple Kimber CDP's and while they are very nice guns the Kim Pro II finish left something to be desired on a $1,000+ gun as it easily chipped and came off just from holster wear.

One name repeatedly came up in my search it was Dan Wesson of CZ. I have heard of the company and its fantastic reviews. So I searched their website to see if they had and carry "friendly" guns in the same vein as the Kimber CDP II. They did in fact have just such a gun the Dan Wesson ECO. So I found the gun I was pretty sure would fit the bill perfectly so to speak. I did a quick google search and almost nothing comes up for the ECO other than a very recently posted review by the youtuber sootch00. The review was very good so i set out to find an elusive ECO.

Turns out Tim's Shooting Academy of Westfield has one in stock and for a pretty decent price. I went down to Tim's to handle the gun and when I arrived they were very busy but their clerks took very good care of me and I was able to compare the ECO against a couple of Ed Brown 1911's. Now the Dan Wesson's have been called the poor mans Ed Brown and after the side by side comparison I can see why! I was sold on the pistol and I bought it on the spot.

It is a very attractive looking firearm with VZ slimline G10 grips that provide a good amount of traction as well as 25 LPI front strap checkering on the front and rear that is not overly aggressive like the TRP but not "slick" like some 30 LPI checkering can feel. It has a 7+1 capacity of 45 ACP and the finish of the overall firearm is superb featuring the Dan Wesson Duty Finish with the aluminum frame featuring a black anodizing that compliments the slide and reminds me of the Microtech knives anodizing on their switchblades.

I took the new pistol home not able to shoot it yet because of my work obligations. Upon arriving home the pistol was disassembled and cleaned as Dan Wesson shipped it almost bone dry. The first thing that struck me was the "cone" style barrel a radical departure from the CDP design. The barrel also bears the Match designation impressive in such a small gun.

Once cleaned and properly lubed I reassembled the pistol with only minimal hassle with the use of a paperclip to hold the recoil spring in place. Once assembled I took time to note all of the defensive features of the gun. One of my favorite features are the "Tactical Ledge" straight 8 style sights features. This ledge enables the user to rack the slide off of a door, table or belt in an emergency situation.

Sight Picture

The top of the slide features a flat top with lines running down the top to prevent glare.

The slide to frame fit is superb with no movement felt at all when the slide is forward on in its rearmost position. The slide is very well mated to the slide when racking the slide no burrs or other disturbances can be felt.

The fitment of the cone barrel to the slide is also very well executed as well with no gaps or imperfections to be seen. Gotta love that big .45 ACP barrel.

The barrel also features an integrated feed ramp to keep the feeding ammunition from wearing on the aluminum frame. Note how nicely the feed ramp was polished.

Overall I am thrilled with the pistol and can see why other Dan Wesson owners on INGO constantly rave about them. The praise they earn is obvious upon handling the firearms and upon close inspection. The trigger pull broke at a very crisp 4 pounds with a very very short reset. The Ed Brown single sided safety clicks into place easily and with an audible noise. The Ed Brown beavertail grip safety is also very well fitted and when shaking the pistol about no noises can be heard. The barrel on the ECO is one half inch longer than that of the Kimber CDP II at 3.5 inches but it is not very noticable at all. Plus isnt that saphire just so nice looking.

Today I plan on taking the ECO to the range and shooting it against one of our CDP II's to see how they compare. I hope at least a little bit of this information is helpfull as there is not allot currently out on the ECO. Will post pictures from the range trip hopefully later in the day. (I am not kimber bashing at all the CDP is just the best example of a compact 1911 I have experience with an is a very very popular choice currently in this market)

 

[CindyE]

Nice review! I hope to own a Dan Wesson 1911 sometime...
Are you sure your old EDC really developed a malfunction?

 

[wtfd661]

Nice review, look forward to your range report!!

 

[88E30M50]

Thanks for the review. The more I hear about these, the more I think I need to check one out the next time I have some 1911 money floating about.

 

[wtburnette]

Thanks for the info. Like others, I'm eagerly awaiting your RR!

 

[wizardfitz]

Very nice write up. Looking at the dan wesson myself

 

[Jeff]

Congrats! I have owned 3 DW VBOB's over the past few years and all oozed quality. Will be purchasing the ECO soon as well.

Looking forward to the RR.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

Maybe around a dozen of us could give a range report on it at a certain shoot... you know where/when...

 

[Dean C.]

Ok just finished cleaning, taking pictures and uploading said pictures for the Range Report!

I took the pistol to Roby's Bullseye this afternoon and ran 300 rounds through it. The ammunition consisted of 260 rounds of 230 grain ball ammunition, and 40 rounds of Federal HST 230 grain ammo that is my favorite choice for carry currently. I used the 2 included Dan Wesson magazines as well as 2 Wilson Combat officer sized magazines. The range was a bit on the chilly side and all shooting was done standing as well. Last night I cleaned and lubricated the pistol.

I am pleased to announce the pistol had ZERO malfunctions or issues during the range trip and at no time was the pistol cleaned or lubricated. I shot through the ball ammunition first to get a feel for the pistol and the "straight eight" sight system. I also shot my fathers Kimber CDP II to compare the two recoil wise and both pistols had very similar recoil not harsh but a little snappy in my opinion, but then again it is .45 ACP in a small gun. The last 40 rounds were the Federal HST as I was using those rounds for accuracy shots and to see if the gun would cycle hollow point ammunition even when very dirty.

Not my best shooting but these groups were from the 15 yard line. The gun is capable of more accuracy than I will ever be capable of. So the myth of a short barreled 1911's not being accurate is obviously false at least with Dan Wesson.

Upon completion of the range trip I am thrilled with the ECO. It shoot very well and there was minimal hand fatigue even after such a high round count session. I can see why Dan Wesson firearms are so highly praised just about everywhere. Now it was time to clean the pistol, I was interested to see how well the aluminum rails fared and see if there were any obvious spots of wear on the gun resulting from miss fitment of the parts.

The rails showed almost no wear at all even after 300 rounds I am very impressed.

For comparison here is my Fathers Kimber CDP II's rails and this firearm only has about 350-400 rounds through it maximum. The Kim Pro II finish does not fair nearly as well as the Dan Wesson's anodized frame. The Kim Pro II finish is sprayed on and basically chips off after use "prolonged".

Another major difference I observed was between the barrels and the recoil springs. The Dan Wesson barrel is fully machined down and finished where the Kimber is basically left at maximum thickness through out with parts left sandblasted. (Kimber on top Dan Wesson shown on bottom)

The recoil springs were also very different the Dan Wesson uses a flat wire recoil spring system that is rated for 15,000 rounds. While the Kimber uses a dual coil spring set up that is also I found a lot harder to assemble than the Dan Wesson. (Dan Wesson on top and Kimber on bottom)

In closing I have no hesitation in highly recommending the Dan Wesson ECO. It is a high end officer 1911 with no MIM parts at all. Everything about the pistol is very well thought out and executed. With a street price of about $1,400 they are not cheap coming in at about $200 more than the Kimber CDP II. I hope I have shown how the Dan Wesson is a superior firearm that justifies its high cost as well provided helpful information to prospective buyers as there is just not much information out on this phenomenal pistol.

 

[Jeff]

Thank you for the range report. There aren't too many out there for this model.

I look forward to purchasing the DW ECO soon.

 

[Dean C.]

Thank you for the range report. There aren't too many out there for this model.

I look forward to purchasing the DW ECO soon.

You will love it! Personally I would go for the .45 as the 9mm holds just as many rounds as the .45 for some reason. I look forward to hearing how you like it and best of luck finding one they are elusive little guns!

 

[wtburnette]

Nice RR, thanks for sharing. Looks like it needs to go on my short list!

 

[Birds Away]

Thanks for the review.

 

[halfmileharry]

Thank you for the detailed review. I've been staring at a couple lately. They definitely are a quality gun.
The price tag may not seem cheap but for those of us that keep our guns....It's cheap to have a quality, out of the box gun you don't have to change parts in.
I don't expect Target Pistol accuracy out of a short SD gun so that grouping at 15 yards is more than adequate. When you're familiar and when the gun smooth's out and settles in I'd expect a little better groups.
Nice gun btw. I have the 1911 shakes again. Thanks.

 

[kawtech87]

Good write up. I sold my Sig Traditional Compact Officer a few months back to fund something else and have been eyeing the Dan Wesson CCO or now the new Valkyrie as a potential replacement. This makes it a good deal easier.

 

[ghuns]

With a street price of about $1,400 they are not cheap coming in at about $200 more than the Kimber CDP II. I hope I have shown how the Dan Wesson is a superior firearm that justifies its high cost as well provided helpful information to prospective buyers as there is just not much information out on this phenomenal pistol.

I love my CDPii. It has been my EDC for several years now. But for only $200 more, the ECO would be a no brainer.

Great write up.

 

[venenoindy]

I own several DW 1911's and always been happy with them as fit and finish been outstanding, congrats on your CCO!

 

[mbafta]

The first handgun I purchased or shot was that exact gun...only problem is it also led me to purchase a DW Pointman Marksman and Pointman 7.

 

[Dean C.]

Just a quick update, the gun is now at between 1200-1300 rounds fired and it is my primary carry weapon next to my VBOB so it has gotten some pretty good holster time especially during the summer months. This shows how well the finish of the pistol is wearing. It has been malfunction free as well and I added Crimson Trace grips to it as well.